Precipitation.



H. R, CONKLIN.

PRECIPITATION.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 7. 1915.

Lllg, Patented Nov. 16, 1915.

@ttor/nus titl HBRY lit.' CCHTKIL'AN,I JOPLIN, MISSOURI;

PRECIPITATION'.

,Specification of Letters Patent.

rametto not.. ie, mit.

Application ,ledlpril 7, 1915. Serial No. 19,823.

To all whom it may concern: y q

Be it known that l, HARRY R. CONKLIN, a citizen of the `llnited States of America, residing at Joplin, .in the county of Jasper and. Stateof Missouri, have in-vented 'cerf tain new and useful Improvements in' Pre.

cipitation; and l do l1ereby declare the lfolto be a full, clear, and exact .de-V

loWin scription of the invention,.such as Willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make en duse the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this speci cation.

My invention relates 'to the precipitation of substances `from their solutions by, means oitE solid precipitants, types of Which are reperesented by; copper by means oi iron, gold and silver by means ci zinc or aluminum, or both; it of course being understood that appropriate solutions are used.

l am aware that it has been heretofore proposed to pass a cyanid solution containing gold and silvervthrough a tube mill containing zinc balls or Zinc balls in connection with a zinc lining, or tov pass such a solution successively through a series et boxes or tanks containing zinc shaving's and that it has also 'been proposed to supply finely comminuted zinc tothe solutions which is carried along with the solution to settling tanks or filter presses Where ther precipitate is separated. rllhere is great objection from a practical standpoint to the use et a tube mill for the reason that there` is a great deal oi1 attrition, whereby particles of zinc are ground. cti" and flow with the solution and precipitate, in suspension, to the filters,

the precipitate containing considerable zinc and zinc oxid whlch requires removal to obtain goed bullion. rlhe same obiection ap- -plies to zinc shav-ngs, the smaller particles of the shavings resulting from the continuous dissolving action of the solution, lfall into the precipitate slud e and remain undissolved so that the slu ge will have to be subjected to some treatment for the removal of zinc. lin using zinc dust there is considerabee accumulation of zinc oxid as Well as metalin the precipitate so that the removal of zinc again comes into question.

ll have ysucceeded in eliminating metallic precipitant or its oxid, especially zinc or zinc oXid from the precipitate by causing the precipitant orpieces of' the precipitant of considerable size to Amove in succession through the solution to be precipitated. I thus simplify present practice considerably, because no zlnc metal is mixed with the precipitate and'no special precautions have to be takenl to exclude air from the precipitate solution after precipitation. .l proceed preferably by using. theprecipitant in the form of solidfround'piecesv or substantially such ascylinders'or balls, and roll the solution, preferably current. of the solution; these cylinders or balls preferably traveling in a closed circuit. 'llhe advantage of this is that there is little or no attrition or mechanical action on the moving pieces of precipitant to produce ,lines that may be entrained With the precipitate in the solution,` and clearing of the precipitate; the precipitate being removed preferably, but not necessarily from the field ot' action of thepieces of precipitant at or near the beginning olf the advance portion of the circuit in which these pieces move. ll prefer, however, to remove the precipitate from the path of movement of the pieces of precipitant by means of the dow of the solution. Another advantage is that When these pieces become so small that they cannot Well be circulated in their circuit, they collect at the head or through a counter where the chemical action is most energetic and become dlssolved, any precipitate formed by them being entrained by the current t-o the point of discharge ot'- the solution. The' precipitatel can be separated from the spent solution 1n anyl Well known manner.

f A suitable apparatus for carrying out the Whose lower end is screwed into or other- Wise connected toa casting 2 that is provided with a central tube in alinement with and forming an extension ofthe pipe they are self them through "illibeginning oiE the current or iiovv ci solution @all Miti

1. This tube is" preferably integral with thel tube 1" as shown. This tube is provided u with a suitable liquid outlet 4. The lower end of the portion?) extends nearly to the reduced tubular end 2 lof the casting or discharge chamber 2 .into the lower end of which is fastened a short pipe 5 closed by' -a removable plug 6. The pipe 1, tube 3", re-

duced portion 2a of the casting 2, and pipe 5, form a straight continuous passage or duct for the solid precipitant that connects at its lower end, namely at the end of the short pipe section 5, with 'a worm or pipe spiral 7 surrounding the aforesaid straight pipe and preferably concentric with it.

- This spiral 7 communicates `at its upper end with an inlet chamber 8, which surrounds 11, driven by a bevel pinion 12 on a vertical sha-ft 13. 1-The shaft 13 has a. worm wheel 14 driven vby worm 15 actuated from any suitable source of power. The hub of the bevel wheel 11 rests on rollers 16 mounted in a bearing member 17 seated in -a frame member 18 forming a portion of the casting for pedestal 19. -The rollers and their bearing member 17 are locked in position in the vframe' member 18,. by a ring 20: V

` able support 2.4.

The lower end of the worm pipe 7 is provided with a casting 21 having a cylindrical bearing 21 movable on rollers 22, and a'v thrust bearing 21b supported on rollers 23. The rollers 22 and 23 are mounted in a suit- The casting 2 1s provided with a chamber 2" Vsurrounding the tubeB. From the upper end of the chamber 2 extends a vdischargepipe 25. .1n use, this pipe will discharge mto any suitable receptacle as av tank T.

.The upper'end of the inlet chamber 8 is preferabl but not necessarily, reduced in cross sectlon as at 26 which preferably has a closed bottomv 27 provided withpipes 28 for carrying thesolution beyond the spiral pipe 10 into thechamber 8. The ,spiral or worm pipe 7 and chamber 8 are provided with a solid precipitant in the form of l co, .4 pipe 1 into the lower turn of the worm pipe pieces or balls 29.

The operation 1s as follows: Pieces of solidprebipitant, preferably, but'not necess arly zinc or aluminum balls 29 are introduced into theupperend of the pipe1,which pass through the entire central conduit or Upon 'slowly rotating the machine 'in the I- proper direction, the balls 29 travell to the upper end ofthe spiral pipe 7 Aand discharge onto the continuing spiralrib 9, The supply 'cipitant to friction.

of balls is continued until balls begin to feed through the short spiral pipe `10 back into the pipe 1 again. Solution to be pre cipitated is then supplied continuously through a pipe indicated at N to the portion 26, passes through the short pipes 28, which prevent-the solution from following the balls into the pipe 10, into the chamber 8, spiral 7, vshort section of pipe 5, slots 1 or .openings 4, chamber 2b of casting 2 and discharge pipe 25 to the tank T. The balls or lpieces of precipitant 29 travel counter t0 the solutiondover a very long path. When the balls have been dissolved to such an extent by the solution that they will not travel or transfer into the pipe 10 they remain in the chamber 8 and there the most intense dissolving action takes place,` due to the action of fresh solution. When the pieces become so4 small that they cannot overcome the flow. of the solution and are compelled to travel with it, they then pass with the solution into the spiral pipe and are caught b the advancing balls therein and become dlssolved. Thus it will be seen that the pieces of precipitant areadvanced without any grinding action on them; that the small floating pieces of zinc, which are constrained to remain at the lower portion of the spiral or turn of pipe 7, by the zinc `balls advancing countery to the flow.

1. The methodof precipitating substances from solutions which comprises passing a solution of the substance successively over pieces of a suitable solidprecipitant'moving in succession.

2. The method of precipitating substances from solutions which comprises subjecting a solution'of the substance to pieces of appreciable volume of a suitable solid precipit'ant moving in' succession in a direction opposite to said solution.

3. The method of precipitating substances from solutions which comprises subjecting a solution of the substance to the action of pieces of a suitable solid precipitant in succession While maintaining relative motion in opposite directionsbetween the solution and precipitant and. while` subjecting theI pre- 4. The method of precipitating substances from s olutions which comprises moving successive pieces of a solid precipitant counter tothe current of a solution of .said substances, and removing the precipitate fas/it is formed by the iow of the solution.

5. The method of precipitating substances meeste from solutions, which comprises causing` pleces of a solid preclpltant to move 1n a closed circuit and causingcya solution oo ntaining a substance capableof being precipitated thereby' to move in a contacting counter current. 7. The method of precipitating substances from solutions, which comprises causing' pieces of a solid precipitant to move in succession through a closed circuit and causing a solution containing a substance capable of being, precipitated thereby to contact therewith in a portionof said circuit, removing the precipitate as it is formed from the precipitant.'

8. .The method of precipitating substances from solutions, which comprises causing pieces of a solid precipitant to move in a closed circuit and causing a solution containing a substance capable of being precipitated thereby to move in a contacting counter current, and removing the precipitatefrom the precipitant by the How of the solution.

9. The method of precipitating substances from solutions, which comprises rolling a series of roundgsolid pieces of a precipitant, through a counter current ofa solution of a substance capable of being-precipitated thereby.

l0 The method of precipitating substances from solutions, which comprises rolling a series of round solid pieces ofa precipitant in succession in a closed circuit through a current of a solution of a substance capable of being precipitated thereby and flowing counter to a portion ofsaid circuit.

11. The method of precipitating substances from their solutions, b solid precipitants, which comprises passingA a succession of upwardly moving pieces of solid precipitant in contact with the downwardly flowing solution from which said substances are to be precipitated.

12., The method of precipitating solutions, which comprises causing the solution to' flow in an alternating upwardly and downwardly directed path, and causing a solid precipitant to move counter to the direction of movement of the solution and in contact therewith.

13. The method of precipitating so1utions, which comprises causing arcontinuous ilow of solution in an alternating upwardly and downwardly directed` path, `and causing a continuous movement of a solid precipitant countery to the direction of movemerlilt 4of the solution and in Contact therewit 14. The method of precipitating solul tions, which comprises causin a solution to flow in an alternating upwar ly and downwardly directed path having a general downward direction, and causing the movement of a solid precipitant in a contacting counter direction.

l5. The method of precipitating solutions, which comprises causing a solution to fiow in an alternating upwardly and downwardly directed path, causing a bodily movement of the solution in a direction opposite to its direction of flow but at a slower rate than vits rate of How, and 'causing a solid precipitant to be moved; counter to the direction' of iiow of the solution.

lin testimony that l claim the foregoing as` my invention, ll have signed my name.

' HARRY R. CONKLIN. 

